Vehicle-spring.



E. MATTHEWS.

VEHICLE SPRING APPLICATION HLED MAR. 2. mm.

me-mm (m. s, 1918.

2 SHEETS---SHEEI avweutoz E. MATTHEWS. VEHICLE SPRING. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, new.

Patented 0st. 8, 1918.

2 SHEET$--SHEEI 2 ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD unr mnws, or DEN ER, ooLonAno; ASSIGNOR or one-HALF 'ro nnwrs n. LEMEN, or nmrvnn, commune. i

. fvzemcnnsrnriw.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918..

Application-meditation 2, 1917. be rial'No. 152,109.

To'all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARDMA'i'IHEWS, e

' citizen of theUnitedStates, residing at the city and county ofDenver and State of C01". orado, have invented certain newend useful Improvements in Vehicle-Springs; and I do declare the following tube e'full, clean,

' and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it eppertains to make and use the some, reference being had to the accomdrawings, and to the characters of refece inerked thereon, which form'- a ,.partlief.lthisspecificetion.

' the downward movement incident to the msleibeingJ- n: 4 thewrebound movement or action of the normal. action of the load when the springs ereplcced under stress, as in going over an uneven surfece. In this event, gilt-er he centrelportionof the spring is moved down-- -wardjly to its limit of movement under the weight ,ofthe load, the tendency is for it to moveupwa-rdly and von'd tin normal position; thisup rd an ov .entbeyoud nor to in. this specification as spring. Where this rebound exists to any -considerableextent. the occupants of the re hicle. are subjected to sort of shaking up, making; the vehicle very uneasy to ride in;

' Hence the object of my improvement is, to

plf'odllcen springIwhieh while possessing the necessary resilience or yielding quality undertthestress=of theload, at the-shine time praeticall prevents ichoundor the move ment on espring-higher. than normal, during .the-upward movement. With this end in .view', I construct my spring of upper and lower members which arelspaoed at the con ten-by m' blockof non-vibrating material as monster. etc( The extremities oi these two" spring memhers areindependeutly con "neeted"'wherebythe two members are spaced diighoutbtheir length. The lower memf we spring-which is preferably relatiy'elyheevy, has extremities connected shtick] es whichstands at a considerable 'ngle to the vertical; allowing the spring to her of qthe'spring are respectively connected with shackles which are normally vertically positioned. The

shackles with-which the extremities of the upper spring mex'nber-are connected are pivoted at their lower extremities upon. the pins which also liingedly connect the shackles of the lower spring member .With the Bracket or support for the spring, which in the case of the front'spring is secured to the axle of the vehicle, while in the case of the real:

is ring this support is mounted on the inner c osure of the hrzike drum.

By virtue of this construction and errang'0ment, when thesp'ring moves down Weird under the stress of the load, the extrcmitiesof the lower member move freely downwardly by virtue of the nornntll posi tion of the shackles which being inclineddnwardly and downwardly from the vertical,

turn freely on their hinge pins, .Wh-ile zthe'x flfl shackles with which the extremitiesof the upper spring-member are connected, have; very littlemov'ement. In other words, these upper shackles" practically Jnaiuteiu their vertical position, with the result that the movement of the upper member of the spring is practically entirely between its extremities. of the spring, it is practically impossihleh r the upper member to move above its nor-incl. .osition and Virtue of this feature the re- .vound oi the spring is'practically prevented. Having briefly outlined my inwrovemcnt, I will prioceecl to descrihethe some indeteil,

reference being made to the accompanying,

Hence during the upward. movement drawing in which is illustrated on em'hodiinent thereof. In thisdrnwing$- Figure 1 is an elevation of a rear'sp-ring' of my improved construction. l

Fig. 2,.is a. similar view of the "irodt spring.

Fig. 3 is a. fragmentary "yi' ew'shcwin the central part of the rear spring on a larger scale.

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the {line 474 Fig. 3. V

,Fig fi is a fragmentary view of the front spring, showing one of itscxtremitiesfend the bracket or sup mfwau which the shackles of the twat vspringg,"innnihers sire hingedly connected, This is a sect-ion taken on theline' '5 5.Fig.6 and is shown on a loner. scale than. Figi'lz- I igffi is c sectiolfitekenbn the Fig.5.

The same reference characters indicate the 'same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral designate the spring considered in its entirety. Each of these spri lgs is composed of a relatively heavy low r member 6 and an upper member 7 As shown in the drawing, the upper mem- [S ort the arms of the shackle 26 are reinforced ber of each spring is composed of two leaves, while the lower member of the rear sprlng is composed of six leaves, while the corresponding member of the front sprmg has five leaves. The particular number'of leaves shown in each spring member, indicates 1n a general way the relative strength of the two members, but ,it must be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular number of leaves for either sprmg member.

The central portion of each spring 1s provided with a block of wood 8 or similar material located between the two members 6 and 7; as shown in the drawing the two members are connected with the block 8 by means of a. central bolt 9 and by U-clips 10. In the case of the rear spring, the U-clips are held in place by nuts 12 applied to the lower extremities of the two arms of each chp, the said arms being connected by a cross piece 13 in the usual way. In the caseof the front spring, the nuts 12 are applied to the upper extremities of the clips.

By virtue of the employmentof the block 8 between the two spring members, the latter are normally spaced throughout their length.'

Each extremity of the lower spring member is pivotally connected as shown at 14 with the lower extremity of a shackle 15 whose upper extremity is hingedly connected with a pin 16., the latter being supported in a bracket 17 whose lower extremity in the case of the front spring includes a bolt 18 which passes through an opening in the axle 19, being secured in place by a nut 20 applied'to the lower threaded end of the b0 t, the nut bein screwed against the axle from below. In t e case of the rear spring, each sup orting bracket 17is shown connected with the inner closure late 21 of the brake drum which is mount casing 23 in which the rear axle shaft 24 is rotatably mounted.-

In the case of each of the frontand rear Teprings, the extremities of the spring memfber 7 are pivotally connected with pins 25 which are supported in the upper extremities of shackles 26, the lower extremities of these shackles being hingedlyconnected with the pins 16. In order that the upper shackles 26 which asshown in the. drawing are located beyond or outside of the upper extremities of the lower shackle members, may fill the space between the extremities-of the pins or bolts 25 and the adjacent ends of the spring member 7 the upper extremities on the hub 22 of the.

spectively connected, an

16. -On the other hand, the shackles 26 are nm'mally vertically positioned. During the downward movement of the portion of the spring between its extremities under the stress of the load, the extremities of the lower spring member move freely, as their shackles 15 swing readily downwardly and outwardly due to the tendency of1the extremities of the heavy lower spring to move outwardly under load stress. But the upper spring member 7 is weaker, being of such strength that it will curve under load stress and the curvature thereof will compensate for the tendency of the extremities of the spring to more outwardly. As a result the upper shackles 26 practically maintain their vertical position, having very little if any movement. By reason ofthis fact, as the spring moves downwardly under the stress of the load, the outer portions of the two members gradually separate since the extremities o the lower member have a very pronounced movement. ,Again, "during the upward movement of the spring, the extremities-of the lower member have a pronounced reverse. movement toward the extremities of ,the upsimilar shackles inclined to the vertical, with which the extremities of the lower spring are connected, the strength of the upper spring being such that said u per spring will curve under load stress an the curvature thereof will compensate for any tendency of its extremities to move outwardly.

2. A spring of the class described comprising upper and lower spaced springs, vertically disposed pivoted shackles with which the extremities of the up er spring are reinclined to the vertical with which theextremities of the other spring are connected, the stren h of the upper spring bein' g -such that sai load stress and the curvature thereof will compensate for any tendency of its extremities to move outwardly.

"per member, while the extremities of the last similar shackles I upper spring will curve under rec 3. A spring of the class described comprising 11 per and lower springs, a centrally ocate b ock spacing the two springs, means for connecting the central portions of the two spring members with the block and with each. other, vertically disposed means for.

acter as to permit swinging lateral. move ment, the strength of the upper spring being such that said upper spring will curve under load stress and the curvature thereof will compensate for any tendency of its extrcmitics to move outwardly.

block spacin 4. A vehicle spring comprising upper and lower spaced springs, the lower member be ing relatively heavy, a centrally located the two members, means for connecting t e central portions of the two members with the block and with each other, and two pairs of shackles, one pair being lo cated at each extremity of the spring and the, individual shackles of each pair being respectively connected with. the adjacent extremities of the two springs, the two shackles of each pair bein pivotally connected with each other an with a suitable support, the upper shackle of each pair be ing normally approximately vertically disposed, while the other shackle inclined to the ert-ica-l, the upper spring thus being longer than the lower spring, and being weaker than the lower spring whereby it will curve under load stress and compensate for' the tendency of the ends to move outwardly, the vertical shackles thereby remaining substantially vertical.

5. A vehicle spring comprising upper and lower springs, the upper spring being weaker than the lower spring, vertically disposed shackles to which the extremities of the upper spring are directly connected, and shackles inclined to thevertical with which the extremities of the lower spring are con nected, the strength of the upper spring be ing'such that'said upper sprlng will curve under load stress. I

6. A vehicle spring comprising upper and lower springs,means for connecting the central portions of said springs, the upper spring being longer than the lower spring and weaker, vertically disposed pivoted shackles with which. the extremities of the upper spring are connected, and pivoted shackles inclined to the vertical with which the extremities of: the lower spring are connetted, the strength 01'" the upper spring be ing such that said upper spring will curve under load stress and the curvature will corn- ;iensate for the tendency of its extremities to move outwardly, the vertical shackles thus a remaining in substantially vertical position, In. testimony whereof I aifix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD MATTHEWS.

Witnesses:

hlARY Brooms, A. EBER'I OBnimn, 

